Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-06-10
JESS.
BYH,NDEK HAGeARD,
@RereteNas Solon,OHsHures ssskgEts.
CHAPTER XIV.
A ROUGH JOURNEY,

oOhh hid'tc SDuO lIOSTeSS.
By IL o'clock that day he had reached
Standerton, a little town upon the Vaal, not
far from which he was destined, had he but
known it, to meet with sufficiently striking
experience. Here he obtained confirmation
of the Bronkers Spruit disaster, and listened
with set face and blazing eyes to the tale of
treachery and wholesale massacre which was,
as he said, without a parallel in the annals of
civilized war.
At Standerton John was again warned
that it would be impossible for him to make
his way through the Beers at Heidelberg, a
town about sixty miles from Pretoria, where
the Triumvirate, Kruger, Pretorius and
Joubert, had proclaimed the republic. But
he answered as before, that he must go on
till he was stopped, and, inspanning his
horses, set forward again, n little comforted
by the news that the bishop of Pretoria, who
was hurrying up to rejoin his family, had
passed through few hours before, also IN
tent upon running the blockade, and that if
he drove fast he might overtake him.
On he went, hour after hour, over the great
deserted plain, but he did not succeed in
catching up to the bishop. About forty miles
from Standerton he saw wagon standing
by the roadside, and halted to see if he could
get any information from its driver. But on
investigation it became clear that the wagon
had been looted of the provisions and goods
with which it was loaded and the oxen driven
off. Nor this the only evidence of vio-
lence. Across the disselboom of the wagon,
the hands still clasping long bamboo whip,
as though he had been trying to defend him
self with it, lay the dead body of the native
driver. His face, John noticed was so COM
posed and peaceful that, had it not been for
the attitude and neat little blue hole in the
forehead, you might have thought he was
asleep and not dead.
At sunset John outspanned his now flag
ging horses by the roadside, and gave them
each couple of bundles of forage from the
store that he had brought with him. While
they were eating it, leaving Mouti to keep
an eye to them, he went some way of and
sat down on a big ant heap TO think. 1t was
a wild and melancholy scene that stretched
away before ana U'nlud nam. AiliJo WrIn
miles of plain, rolling east and west ana north
and south, like the hi.iows OF IL frozen sea-
only broken, far along the heidelberg road
by some hills, known as Roof Koppies
Nor was this all. Overhead was blazing
and burning one of those remarkable
sunsets which one sometimes secs i'll
summer in Africa. The sky full of lower
ing clouds, and the sulen orb of the setting
sun had stained them perfectly blood red
DlOOu ret. tI'-y lOdUeu through Ine OninOuS
sky, and blood red their shadows lay upon the
grass. Even the air seemed red. 1t looked
as though earth and heaven had been stepped
in blood: and fresh as John was from the
sight of the dead driver, his ears yet tinglng
with the tale of Bronlier's Spruit, it is not to
be wondered at that the suggestive sight OPP
pressed him seated in that lonely waste, with
no company except that melancholy "kakara-
kakara" of an old black koran hidden away
somewhere i'll the grass, He was not much
given to that sort of thing, but he did begin
to wonder whether this was the last journey
of all the many he had made during the past
twenty years, and if Boer bullet was about
to solve the mystery of life and death for
him.
By the time that the horses had done their
forage and Mouti had forced the bits into
their reluctant mouths, the angry splendor of
the sunset had faded, and the quiet night was
falling over the glowing veldt like pail on
one scarce dead. There was fortunately for
the travellers, bright half moon, and by its
light John managed to direct the cart over
many weary mile. On he went for hour
after hour, keeping his tired horses to the col
lar as best he could, till at last, about II
o'clock, he saw the lights of Heidelberg be-
fore him, and knew that the question of
whether or not his journey was at an end
would speedily be decided for him. However,
there was nothing for it but to go on and take
his chance of slipping through. Presently he
crossed a little stream, and made out the
shape of a cart just ahead, around which men
and couple of lanterns were moving No
doubt, he thought to himself it was the
bishop, who had been stopped by the Beers.
He was quite close to the cart when it moved
on, and in another second he was greeted by
the rough challenge Of n sentry, and caught
sight of the cold CLEAN of rifle barrel
"Wie da?" who's tIcreD
"Friend!' he answered, cheerfully, though
feeling far from cheerful.
There was pause, during which the sentry
called to another man, who came up yawn-
ing, and saying something in Dutch. Strain
ing his ears he caught the words, Bishops
man." and this gave him an idea
"Who are you, Englishman" asked the
second man, grufiiy, holding up lantern to
look at John, and speaking in English
81 am the bishops chaplain, sir" he an
swered, mildly, trying desperately to look
like an unoifending clergyman, "and want
to get ON to Pretoria with him"
The man with the lantern inspected him
closely. Fortunately he had on dark coat
and a clerical looking black felt hat; the same
that Frank Muller had put bullet through.
"He is a preacher fast enough" said the one
man to the other. "Look, he is dressed like
an old crow What did ON Kruger's pass
say, jana Was it two carts or one that we
were to let through l think that it was
one"
The other man scratched his head.
II think it was two" he said. He did not
like to confess to his comrade that he could
not read. NO. am sure that it was two"
"Perhaps we had better send up to ON
Kruger and askp suggested the first man.
"Om Kruger will be in bed, and he puts up
his quilts like a porcupine if one wakes him."
was the answer.
"Then let us keep the id preaching Eng
lishman till tomorrow"
spray let me go on, gentlemen" said John,
still In his midest voice. 81 am wanted to
preach the word at Pretoria, and to watch
by tho wounded and dying"
"Yes, yes" said the first man, "there will
soon be plenty of wounded and dying there.